The National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary has released three new side scan sonar images of the
coastal steam ship Portland, which rests on the sea floor of the sanctuary.
The ship sank November 27, 1898, during the infamous "Portland Gale
of 1898" with the loss of all 192 passengers and crew.

The new
images were created by a Klein Sonar Associates Model 5000. The Salem,
N.H., company operated the equipment and provided ship time to the sanctuary
for an October mission to the shipwreck site. The images clearly show
the side-by-side smoke stacks and the diamond-shaped metal walking beam
that provided power to the side paddle wheels.

The October
mission was a follow-up to a late July/early August 2002 joint research
mission, during which theStellwagen Bank Sanctuary and the National
Undersea Research Center at the University of Connecticut mapped and
shot video of the wreck. The video and side-scan images from the two
missions provide visual documentation to earlier work by American Underwater
Search and Survey.
Although artifacts displaying the ship's name could not be found, a
team of independent marine archaeologists confirmed the identification
based on the evidence provided by the side-scan and video images. NOAA
funds six research centers around the country through its National Undersea
Research Program.

The location
of the wreck within the sanctuary's boundaries provides protection unavailable
in other federal waters off Massachusetts. Sanctuary regulations prohibit
moving, removing or injuring, or any attempt to move, remove, or injure
any submerged cultural or historical resources, including artifacts
and pieces from shipwrecks. Anyone violating this regulation is subject
to civil penalties.

Congress
designated the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
in 1992 as "an area of special national significance." Virtually the
size of the state of Rhode Island, the sanctuary stretches between Cape
Ann and Cape Cod in federal waters off of Massachusetts. The sanctuary
is renowned as a major feeding area for marine mammals, particularly
humpback whales, and supports an ecosystem of diverse wildlife.

NOAA's
National Marine Sanctuary Program seeks to increase the public awareness
of America's maritime heritage by conducting scientific research, monitoring,
exploration, and educational programs. Today, 13 national marine sanctuaries
encompass more than 18,000 square miles of America's ocean and Great
Lakes natural and cultural resources. For more information about the
Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, please visit
http://stellwagen.nos.noaa.gov.

NOAA's
Ocean Service (NOS) manages the National Marine Sanctuary Program and
is dedicated to exploring, understanding, conserving, and restoring
the nation's coasts and oceans. NOS balances environmental protection
with economic prosperity in fulfilling its mission of promoting safe
navigation, supporting coastal communities, sustaining coastal habitats
and mitigating coastal hazards. To learn more about NOS and the National
Marine Sanctuary Program, please visit http://www.nos.noaa.gov.

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Images:

Three
images of the wreck of the Portland by the Stellwagen Bank National
Marine Sanctuary using Klein Model 5000 side scan sonar. Images provided
by Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary